Got Your 6 Leads Veteran Empowerment Movement this Veterans Day
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 05, 2014 -- Got Your 6, the national campaign working to change the narrative around veterans and military families, is celebrating veteran empowerment this Veterans Day. Got Your 6 will host an array of initiatives that highlight the service and impact of veterans in their communities across the country.
“Veterans Day is a reminder that those who have served should not only be acknowledged for their time in the military but also empowered to serve at home to help make communities stronger across the country,” said Chris Marvin, managing director of Got Your 6. “Through collaboration with diverse and influential partners such as Macy’s, HISTORY, DreamWorks Animation, Wells Fargo, Starbucks, Habitat for Humanity, and FOX Sports, Got Your 6 is able to spread this message of empowerment within many facets of American society.”
In order to empower veterans to strengthen our communities, Got Your 6 has developed partnerships across multiple sectors including national nonprofits, corporations, government, education, and the entertainment industry. Efforts will begin in Philadelphia on November 4th when Got Your 6 will partner with Habitat for Humanity and the Philadelphia Eagles. The project will highlight how veterans are making a difference here at home with volunteers from top veteran service organizations Team Rubicon, The Mission Continues, and The Pat Tillman Foundation.
On November 6th, Got Your 6 will host the second annual Storytellers event in New York City held at the headquarters of Got Your 6 supporter HBO. Got Your 6 Storytellers will showcase the innovations and ideas of some of our country’s best and brightest military veterans who are having profound impact on the civilian world. These remarkable veterans will deliver TED-style talks on their particular field of expertise, including music, science and technology, entrepreneurship, social innovation and much more.
Participants include accomplished veterans, performers and civic leaders John Oliver, Meghan McCain, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Don Faul, Jason Everman, Emily Nunez, Becky Kanis, and many more.
“Got Your 6 Storytellers is designed to enable all Americans to hear directly from veterans whose innovative ideas are having profound effects in the civilian word,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.“Through their voices, the American people will learn what we already know—veterans are crucial assets who can help us build stronger communities.”
Got Your 6 is also playing a significant role in the education-focused “Take a Veteran to School” program from HISTORY®. “Take a Veteran to School” is a nationwide initiative that brings students together with veterans to teach this generation about service and what it means to be a veteran, while expanding students’ understanding of Veterans Day.
“Take a Veteran to School” reaches approximately 10 percent of American public schools and involves more than 25,000 veterans from around the country. Sample lesson plans include notes on the post-9/11 veteran experience, a compilation of 2013’s Got Your 6 Storytellers talks and video assets that will appeal to older students and engage them in discussion about veterans as leaders and civic assets.
On November 10th, Got Your 6 will partner with the White House and HISTORY® for a special “Take a Veteran to School” event at a school in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The event will highlight the Congressional Medal of Honor and the history of African Americans in the military.
To emphasize the importance of veteran empowerment to a younger audience, Got Your 6 has partnered with DreamWorks Animation and the White House’s veteran initiative, Joining Forces. DreamWorks Animation developed and produced an animated short titled, “Operation Got Your 6,” which features First Lady Michelle Obama and the “Penguins of Madagascar."
A year in the making, the video was released on November 5 by Got Your 6 and DreamWorks Animation as a means to help school-aged children understand and dispel myths about veterans. This video is also a key component in HISTORY’s Take a Veteran to School curriculum.
"Kids are apt to see our nation's veterans and active duty service members as stereotypical, tough soldiers-- American heroes who dispatch the bad guy,” said Tim Norman, U.S. Army veteran and Human Resources at DreamWorks Animation. “This portrayal from their formative years stays with them, and it is essential that we balance it with content and messaging that clearly reflects how veterans are so much more."
In addition to these initiatives, Got Your 6 is collaborating with MTV, HBO, Starbucks and American Express for continued Veterans Day programming. MTV created a millennial targeted documentary called, “MTV’s Got Your 6” to share the stories of four young veterans as they return to civilian life. In cooperation with HBO, Starbucks, and Chase, Got Your 6 will advise on the messaging and activation of veteran-focused nonprofits for The Concert for Valor, an event in Washington D.C. featuring performances by the Black Keys, Carrie Underwood, Metallica, Eminem, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, and more.
About Got Your 6
Got Your 6 is a collaborative campaign designed to help bridge the military-civilian divide. Combining the reach and resources of the entertainment industry with the expertise and commitment of more than 30 non-profit organizations, the campaign works to advance the conversation in America so veterans and military families are seen as leaders and civic assets who will invigorate our communities. Since 2013, Got Your 6 has distributed grants totaling more than $4 million to a dozen veteran-focused non-profit partners, through support from organizations such as Wells Fargo and Macy's. For more information, visit http://www.gotyour6.org. Be the Change, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, is the organizing body and fiscal sponsor of Got Your 6.
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Megan Haverland, Beck Media & Marketing, 310-300-4800, [email protected]
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